Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-01-21
II was myself occupied with that

problem, he responded, las you en-
tered. | am not only thoroughly IA
miliar with all works on the subject up
to date. but have frequently been pres
ent at your lectures and dlssectlons of
beheaded sub Gets. OF the guillotine
itself know nothing"
"On the contrary. | do" said Vel
peau, land again to-day have studied
it carefully. 1t is perfect machine.
The blade of the knife falling suddenly.
sharp. straight and heavy, sewers the
neck of the victim instantly. The be-
headed. under the shock of this light
ning-l ke blow, feels no more pain than
a soldier in the thick of battle when
his arm is carried off by ball SEN
sation at the moment is deadened. All
do not agree with me, l know re-
peated Velpeau. when Pommerais
would have spoken. nevertheless n
hundred experiences, besides general
observation, convince me that this in
Simultaneous ablation of the head pro-
duces at the moment in the individual
decapitated absolute anesthetic insen-
siblity. The swooning of the body alone
caused by the loss of five or six litres of
blood should assure the most timid OF
perfect immunity from pain. The UNI
certainty of the life beyond. the solem-
nifty of the last call, the shock of the
early Weakening. are the most decided
suflerings the guillotined know. Be-
heading in fact, is no more than a vio-
lent blow on the head-you are knock.
ed insensible. of course, but no con-
sciousness of it remains"
II hope so, at least" replied La
Pommerais; "but it is not that which
dread-physical agony would be quick
ly extingulshed by the real in sensibil-
ity of death l. stem. perhaps l can
make my meaning clearer The or
gans of memory and will have been. as
you know, circumScribed to the head
80 the same lobes. in fact, where we
have located the dogs.
ihLNE Ohb+ANo AhE Of hhfp
BY the passage of the knife. We have
received too many precedents as dis
quieting rs incomprehensble to per-
suade me of immediate unconsciousness
after decapitation Recall the many
stories we have heard from authentic
sources of appealing glances from the
eyes in severed heads. Surely you have
not forgotten that of the sailor at the
clinic at Brest, which, an hour and a
half after decapitation, cut in two. by a
movement of the jaws. perhaps con-
sciously pencil placed between his
teeth?
And this is but one among a thou
sand examples. The only question to
settle is whether it was the will of the
man that moved the muscles of his
bloody head. Before eight days have gone
it may be that | shall have learned and
forgotten"
"Not so!' cried Velpeau. Not So
To have learned, doubtless, and to have
instructed all humanity! To speak
plainly Mons. la Pommerais. it is for
that | am here. delegated to visit you
by the most eminent of the Partisan fac
ulty. Here is my passport from the
Emperor"
Explain yourself. | do not compre.
bend. said Pommerais. confused.
at is simply this: | come in the name
of Science, dear to us both, and which
counts us among its numbers of mar
tyrs. come TO claim its greatest
amount of courage and intrepidity
which it is in the power of human be-
ing to give. If your appeal for mercy
is rejected, you, as "A physician, are in
yourself the best of subjects for the OPP.
Grafton to which YOU will have to sub
NIT. This. coupled with your concur.
renee and your knowledge of the test
desired, will be of inestimable value.
and is truly one chance in ten thousand
of enlightening modern physiology.
The occasion should be seized. One
sign ofintelligence from you after exc
cution will leave YOU a name the scien-
tific glory of which will forever effacc
your social disgrace"
"Ah, cried Pommerais, pala but
with resolute lie. II begin to com.
prehend. But the
EXACT NATURE OF THE ExPERIMENTW
simply this: 1t is needless to as
sure you that none of our scalpels will
touch YOU. but before and after the
fall of the KIN fe | shall be there. stand
ing in front of the machine and beside
you. As soon rs possible your head
will pass from the hands of the execu-
toner into mine. and then the expert
ment, from its very simplicity decisive.
will be made. STOPPING to your ear.
will cry. distinctly and loudly: Mons
la Pommerais. can YOU at this momen,
shut three times in succession the eye-
lid of your right eye. keeping your
left eve wide open?' No matter wha,